10 WWE Vs. NJPW Matches Fans Dream About

It must not have been easy for Roman Reigns. Picked by WWE to be the next top sympathetic babyface, his big push was rejected by the fanbase, and he became a polarizing figure (to put it generously). Obviously now, Reigns has embraced his hated babyface role with the same gusto as John Cena before him, but for a time, it must have been demoralizing to go from being the next big thing to the big thing no one wants.

Tetsuya Naito was in a similar situation. In 2013, after overcoming knee surgery and winning the G1 Climax, the Stardust Genius seemed destined to defeat Kazuchika Okada and become the next top star of New Japan. However, greater fan interest in the Okada/Tanahashi program and a lack of enthusiasm for the forced push of Naito derailed those plans, as he became hated.

Roman Reigns and Tetsuya Naito have career trajectories that parallel and come at a distinct diverging point, with New Japan embracing Naito's negative reaction and making him the tranquilo antihero. In any case, a hypothetical matchup between the two top babyface experiments would carry heavy intrigue.